Train order holding device



Nov. 2l,` 1944.

W. L. WHITE ETAL TRAIN O RDER HOLDING DEVICE Filed Oct. 14,` 1941 s`sheets-sheet 1A A TT ORNEYS.

NOV- 21, 1944 w. L. WHITE ETAL 2,363,214

TRAIN ORDER HOLDING DEVICE Filed Oct. 14, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2ATTORNEYS; J

Nov. 21, 1944. w, L WHITE ErAL 2,363,214

TRAIN ORDER HOLDING DEVICE Filed oct. 14, 1941 3 sheets-sheets )ma @m/WmBY @ya/LM ATTORNEY.

hold lock 35 normally in an engaged relation with post 24. Handle 34,shown in Fig.3is adapted to` be grasped to easily raise`or''1owersliding member 23. v

Means for holding the Writtenumessageor order l is shown as assembly A.It consists of va main support 2,8 which is preferably attached tosliding member 23 by means of catches 39A attached to assembly A,whichcatches are adapted to engage lugs 33 attached to sliding member23, To main support 28 is. pivotally attached tubular sockets 26 and 21,the` pivotal `connection adapting the tubular'sockets to'assume theposition of a continuous verticalrline, and to be moved at K angularrelation with each other. Springs A3| and 3|A are adapted to hold saidsockets in the'open relation described, and to move them to such openrelation. y 1 v Arms 26A and. 21A, which are. adapted to hold thewritten orders to be delivered, are fastened within sockets 26 and 21,so they can be easily replaced if necessary. These arms are made oflight wood or similar material so that if they accidentally strike theopera-tor when he is grasping the written orders, the arms will breakand not violently-strike the operator.` `It is not contemplated thatsuch strikingwill occur, but this provision has been made in-ourconstruction to overcome accidental occurrences. i

On main support 28 `we have attached a spring clamp 32. An endlessstring'is shown as 33. The outside ends 26B and 21B of arms 26A and '21Aare bifurcated. Endless string Y33 is yieldingly held by clamp 32, andis passed over the ends of arms v26A and 21A, being held in thebifurcations described, and the string33 isof such length that when thusthreaded from spring clamp 32 to ends 26B and 21B it is in a triangularshape, and the arms 26A and 21A are angularly extended from supportingpole 23 and held taut 4by `springs 3| and 3|A. `TThe written orderssought to be delivered is attached to string 33 between the ends of arms26A and 21A.` As this deviceis positioned` near the track carrying thetrain, the engineer,

conductor ,or operator of the train, andV on the train, can extend hisarm` as his train is passing this device and catch the string towhichthe orders are attached and thus get the orders.

. It will be noted that when the string is removed from the arm assemblywith 4the written orders attached thereto, the tension of springs 3| and3|A will function to pull arms 26A and 21A to th vertical positionheretofore described. Y When'a plurality of order holders or assembliesFig, 1, after the engineer first passing vthe device has taken theorders from `assembly A, andthe er, A or B are attached to the device asshown in.

arms of that lassembly have. automatically asi sumed the verticalposition,` the engineer following in the second engine,` or theconductor, or other ofcial on the train who should receive va duplicateof the'rst order mentioned, can take copies of suchv orders fromassemblies B orC `in consecutiveorder.

Stops 4| and 4 IA, shown in Fig. 5 are intended to limit the radialmovement of arms 26A and 21A when placed at angular relation with eachother. Rod 44 is anchorage for springs 3| and 3|A. Clamp 43 is adaptedto hold a flash light which can be positioned to direct its rays atnight on the orders to be delivered.

Prongs 64 and 65 at the bifurcated ends of arms 26A and 21A are ofdiierent lengths, so that when string 33 is pulled 01T of the assemblyA, the string will slide off of the short prongs 65 first.

, It is also noted that the arms 26A and v21A can be made of wood, orspringy material, `such as rubber.

In Figs. 9, l() and 11 are shown a modified form for the delivery of aplurality of written messages or orders to a plurality of persons,either all on different sections of one moving train, or to persons ondifferent trains. The base, the supporting post andthe arm assembly Aare the same as hereinbefore described. At the. elevation desired on thesupportinggpost 23 we have attached a thimble 50, which is adapted as abearing for the use hereinafter described, which thimble can be .heldlrigid with the supporting post by a set screw 5|, screwed through thethimble and into the post on which it is carried. A drum 52 is adaptedto. rotate on thimble 50. A coil spring 53 within the drum provides thepower to rotate the drum, On the outside periphery of the drum 52 areattached lugs 3S, similar in all respects to lugs 39 shown in Fig. 5.The arm assembly A hereinbefore described is attached to lug 33. Theobject of thev .wpresently described device .is to carry a plurality ofarm assemblies A, which in this connection are designated arm assembliesA, B, C and D, as four such assemblies are shown inthe drawings, a1-thoughva less number or a greater number may be used. Y

A plurality of` lugs 54, and a similar number of auxiliary lugs 54A `areattached to theunder face of the drum in such position that when eacharm assembly, of whichy arm assembly A is a specimen, is positioned forthe operator of the train to receive orders, a sliding stop 55 will bebetween lugs 54 and 54A and engaged therewith so that the drum cannotmove in either direction. Holding the drum rigid in this manner isnecessary by reason of the fact that the arms should be positivelypositioned on the drum when Vthe delivery of the message is made. -Thepositions of the lugs and sliding stop is shown more clearly in Fig. 11.i

The sliding stop is tripped from engagement with lugs 54 and 54A in thefollowing manner. Sliding stop 55 is attached to a plunger 56, whichplunger 56 is adapted to be moved back and forth in a tube 60, said tube60 having parts cut away to permit stop 55 to be moved. It is noted thatsliding stop 55 is positioned normally directly under arm assembly Awhen said stop is engaged with lugs 54 and 54A. When the ,message andstring attached is removed from the arms, the arms 26A and 21A, and theconnected sockets 26 and 21 assume a vertical position. In assuming saidvertical position 'the lower socket 21 will `be forced against plunger56 and move it, together with stop 55 attached thereto, out ofengagementwith lugs 54 and 54A,.thus permitting the drum to rotate. Immediately onthe rotation of the drum the plunger 56 is freed from the pressure fromsocket 21 as the rotation of the drum carriesthe socket away from theplunger,

t and plunger 56 is restored to its normal position by means of plungerspring 51, and is thus adapted to engage the next succeeding stop in itspath 0f travel, `designated 54A. As lug 54A has a sloping face forengagement with stop 55, the power of coiledspring 53 in rotatingdrum`52 will force stop 55 downward to engagement with lug 54, thuslocking the drum` in the position desired.

Arrow 62 in Fig. 11 shows the direction of travel of sliding stop 55.Arrow 6I shows the direction of travel`of the drum. The message to bedei,

livered is indicated on the drawings as 66.

In Fig. 10 areshown stops `58 and 58A which A lug or screw headstruction which can be substituted `:for those' claimed.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a support, a drumrotatingly attached to said support, means for rotating said drumconsisting of a coiled spring, a plurality of message `holderassemblies, each assembly consisting of two light wooden arms, a bracketsupport or plate, said arms being pivotallyhinged` at `one end to saidbracket support or plate,` said pivotal connection adapting the arms tobe moved to angular relation with each other, and on an approximatelystraight line with each other, spring means adapted to normally return`said arms from the angular position to said straight line position, anendless string yieldingly held adjacent said bracket support, and.oisuch length that `said string will engage `the ends of the arms whensaid message holder assemblies being attached to the periphery of thedrum by means of a lug extending outwardly `from the periphery of thedrum, the bracket support or plate to which the `arms are attached,having thereon a catch adapted to cooperate and engage with the lug sothat the arm assembly can be easily attached to the drum and `easilyremoved therefrom, means for intermittently stopping the rotation of thedrum and locking it in selected positions.

2. A device of the character described comprising a support, a drumrotatingly attached to the support, spring means for rotating the drum,a plurality of message `holder assemblies, each assembly consisting oftwo arms pivotally hinged at one end to` `a plate, the two arms beingadapted to be moved on the pivotal connection 'to angular relation witheach other and on an approximately straight line with relation to eachother, spring means adapted to normally return said i "arms from theangular position to the straight` line position, means for attaching theplate and l assembly tothe periphery of the drum, a string yieldinglyattachedto the ends ofthe arms, the i string being of such length thatit is taut when the arms are at angular relation with `each other, l

means for attaching a message to said string,`

means for locking the drum at selective positions during rotationconsisting of lugs attached to the drum spaced distances apart andconcentric with the drum, a sliding stop attached to the support l andadapted to slide Within the path of. travel said arms are at angularrelation with each other,

means for attaching a message to said string,

of the lugs, said sliding stop being adapted to engage any one of saidlugs, springmeans adapted for holding thesliding stop in engagement withthe lugs, means for disengaging the sliding stop with the lugsconsisting of a plunger attached to the sliding stop, onearm of eachmessage holder assembly being adapted to engage the;` plunger when thearms of said assembly assume a straight line relationship. l

` WILEY L. WHITE.

WALTER L. WHITE.

